I was forwarded this by a friend, so I felt the need to join up and say something, partly to quash rumors.

First up, "Then you read that Adam Hughes is going to do a monthly". Ouch. Not sure if that puppy I ran over last week was Chuck's, but now I'm thinking it was...

Secondly, I am not doing a 'monthly'. My commitment to ALL-STAR WONDER WOMAN is for 6 issues. My schedule is to hand in 10 pages, pencilled and inked, a month. The issues will be released monthly, on-time, because we're starting far enough in advance. You will get your ALL-STAR WONDER WOMAN every four weeks.

I think that if the announcement had been worded that 'Adam Hughes is doing 132 pages of WONDER WOMAN', there'd be less confusion and consternation.

Next, may I be allowed to take umbrage at the suggestion that anyone who does not/can not create a monthly comic is either casual or (more offensively) unprofessional and irresponsible. I realize that this is the wrong place to suggest this, but the notion that you are not a real comic artist if you can't do a monthly book is archaic. Prolific masters like John Byrne and Jack Kirby are the exceptions, not the rule. Would you call Neal Adams unprofessional or irresponsible, just because HE never did a monthly book? All 12 issues of WATCHMAN didn't ship on time; is Dave Gibbons therefore merely a casual dabbler in our medium? Anyone care to call Brian Bolland names for being slow? Perhaps KILLING JOKE should have been given to a DC artist who was doing a monthly book, as a reward for productivity.

I'm sorry that I cannot do a comic a month; I wish I could. So does my accountant. But I cannot. "A man's got to know his limitations" as a wise man with a loaded gun once said. I know what I can and cannot do. Faced with the choice of hacking out a mediocre Adam Hughes comic 12 times a year or working at my own natural pace and doing work that I can be proud of, I personally choose quality over quantity. It's not for everyone, it's just how this cat is wired. I don't think EVERYONE should slow down and work at this pace. I think everyone should find their niche and excel at what they do best.

And before anyone decides to get all 'harrumphy' on me, I am not saying that everyone who does a book a month hacks it out. My firm implication is that I and I alone would be a hack, if I were to produce work at that personally unnatural pace.

I understand the nature of the business, and of fandom. I remember what it was like as a boy, wondering why Michael Golden didn't do a monthly book. However, I never considered to imply his professionalism was suspect; I just assumed what he did took more time. Expecting me to draw as fast as John Byrne is like me expecting YOU (whoever you may be) to jump 12 feet in the air. You can't? But Michael Jordan can. And everybody is the same, right?

Please just sit back, enjoy all manner of comics as they come out. It's a fabulous art form with room for all manner of creative endeavor. If you care to, please try out my 6 issues of ALL-STAR WONDER WOMAN when I'm finished with them. I'm really excited about this assignment, and I think I have some cool stuff in store. If you cannot, however, approach the notion of me doing a book like this with something resembling basic human optimism and enthusiasm, then I'l thank you to kiss my man-sized ***.

He makes a good point. The thing is, though, he can't meet a monthly schedule and he knows it. So does the editor, which is why they worked out the plan they did to have enough lead time that the book will still ship monthly.

That's all we've been asking, really--don't solicit a monthly book and then not put it out every month. Plan ahead.

Ah so it was. Chuck's comment was a little more innocent that you typically see, though.

Here's a good followup from Adam:

I thank everyone for their kind words, and Mr. Byrne in particular for my fabulous childhood full of wonderful comics.

I loathe posting online as I feel it rarely accomplishes much more than a vent spleen, with no real resolution other than 'let's agree to disagree'. Thanks for letting me speak my peice.

I understand that the thread topic concerns some issues that don't relate to my situation specifically, but I felt I need to cough an *ahem* into my hand when I was singled out by name.

We have a great comics industry in America, wherein there's room for prolific engines of art like our host and beatnik hipster doofuses such as myself. When the climate changes and all must produce monthly, I'll show you all a thing or two about mediocrity. ;-) Until then, I shall revel in the freedoms the current marketplace allows.

As for broken schedules... Yes, certain of us should NEVER accept monthly gigs, as we shall never maintain the schedule. Also, the companies should never solicit before the art is done (or mostly done). There are always factors that we are never aware of, however. Sometimes companies will solicit early as a way to light a fire under the artist's asss. Sometimes a schedule gets moved around, and a book that wasn't up for solicitation gets bumped up for strange corporate reasons. Sometimes schedules are rewritten by the gremlins that clean up after hours and replace all the office furniture with exact duplicates.

As for ALL-STAR WONDER WOMAN, wish me luck. DC is really letting me do my thing, and if the books stinks like a fishwife it'll be all my fault. :-) I'm supposed to do 10 pages a month (I'm shooting for 11) so that way I'll (hopefully) have aa 22-page issue done every 2 months. I'll be staying on the covers of CATWOMAN while doing this, so that no one thinks I'm dead. Laura Martin is going to be coloring the book; I'll be working hand-in-hand with her to make sure the books looks as good as it can. Check out our 2-page Wonder Woman origin in DC's 52, #12 for a taste of how ASWW will probably look. My dream for ASWW is to cram as much character & story into Diana's tale as humanly possible, with the type of action set-pieces that will make Joss Whedon scream "**** you, Adam Huuuuuuuughes!!!" into the rain, shaking his tiny fists in impotent rage.

That's a great, relevant response and totally needed given the rise and immediacy of contemporary fan(atic)boy whiny-ness via the internet. What is with all the axes to grind and venom at how the business is run? Granted, I do like my monthly fixes when possible, but the business just doesn't always work that way.

My suggestion is to not buy the book if it's a gross injustice to you and write a letter explaining that reason to DC. They've often said that snail mail counts more than email/posting. (Look what happened with the resurrection/upcoming use of Manhunter. They've found a way to incorporate her in a new storyline/mini after fans reacted via snail mail.)

He makes a good point. The thing is, though, he can't meet a monthly schedule and he knows it. So does the editor, which is why they worked out the plan they did to have enough lead time that the book will still ship monthly.

That's all we've been asking, really--don't solicit a monthly book and then not put it out every month. Plan ahead.

no he's saying it is going to be monthly.....because they are giving him the lead time he needs to get it done on time on a monthly basis. DC giving lead time again. how great is that.

Chris Hansbrough

Exactly. And this is just how it should be done. The editor needs to look at the resources he has, be realistic, and come up with a plan. That all seems to have been done in this case.

Examples recently where it HASN'T been done are, of course, WONDER WOMAN (come on, who doesn't know that Heinberg is a slow writer?), and Marvel's CIVIL WAR (ouch). In both those cases, there was just too little lead time to get the projects out on time. There was no way it was going to happen. And instead of delaying the beginning of the project, they went ahead and acted as if everything would be ok.

Now, obviously, in the case of WW, it mostly only effects itself. In the case of CIVIL WAR, it is a HUGE deal, delaying many, many titles for months, in some cases. And Joe Q, Mark Millar, McNiven ... they all said that they didn't have enough lead time. That begs the question of course, since they knew that when they originally scheduled the series in the first place.

The approach shown with ALL STAR WONDER WOMAN is perfect. Hughes can do 10-11 pages a month, so they are giving him enough lead time to finish enough work so that the book will come out on time. There. All sane and correct.